Furniture



March 31, 1936. w. MQARTHUR, JR

FURNITURE Filed March 5', 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet l March 31, 1936- w.McARTHUR, JR

FURN I TURE 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 5, 1934 BY v ATTOR Patented Mar.31, 1936 PATENUT OFFICE FURNITURE Warren McArthur, Jr., Rome, N. Y.,auignor to Warren McArtlmr Corporation, Rome, N. Y., a corporation ofNew York Application March 5, 1934, Serial No. 713,960

9 Claims.

This invention relates to metal furniture and an object is to providefurniture of this type of such construction and arrangement as willpermit the use of standard parts in the manufacture thereof to producepieces having substantially any desired design or shape withoutrequiring the use of any special dies, tools or the like.

A further object is to provide a frame member for metal furniture ofsuch construction as to permit the use of such material as tubularaluminum to form frame members of suflicient strength.

These and other objects which will be apparent to those skilled in thisparticular art are accomplished by the invention hereinafter describedand illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which,

Fig. 1 is a. perspective view of a chair illustrative of one embodimentof this invention. It will, however, be apparent from the followingdescription that the invention is equally'adapted to other articles offurniture and to other forms of chairs.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of a frame member illustrating one form ofconnection between such member and a solid cross member.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a. sectional view showing one form of connection between atubular frame member and a hollow cross member.

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view of a joint between intersectingtubular frame members ofsubstantially the same diameter and each ofwhich is provided with inner strengthening rods. Fig. 6 is a sectionalview on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

' Fig. '7 is a sectional view, partially broken away, of a curvedtubular frame member showing the cooperative relationship between thetubular member and the inner strengthening and supporting rod.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view illustrating a joint between non-intersectingtubular frame members which cross each other, and

Fig. 9 is a sectional view on the line 9-9 of Fig. 8.

The embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings is a typicalillustration of my development of curved frame membersformed of tubularmaterial such, for example, as aluminum, which alone would be unsuitablefor such use, particularly in curved members, but which, when combinedwith inner strengthening and support- 5 ing members, such as inner rods,arranged in the manner hereinafter set forth. forms a rugged. durablearticle. The invention also comprises the joining of such frame memberstogether and to other frame and cross members.

The chair illustrated comprises a pair of elon- 5 gated tubular framemembers II which are shaped to form uprights for supporting the back l2of the chair. They also extend downwardly and form the rear legs of thechair and are then curved forwardly to form-horizontal sec- 10 tions l3which support the entire chair and are connected to the front legs I byjoints .of the type hereinafter described. a

A second frame member I5 is curved to form arms which extend around theback of the seat. 18 being connected to the upright frame members II byjoints It as hereinafter'described, and connected adjacent each end to afront rung H by joints l8, the rung itself intersecting the legs l4.Each frame member whether curved as in 20 the case of members II and 15or straight as in the case of front legs I4 is composed of a pluralityof tubular sections or elements having intermediate washers betweentheir adjacent ends for holding such ends in alignment. The washers 25and elements are strung upon a supporting rod on which they are clampedunder considerable pressure so that the inner rod is placed undertension and the assembly is held rigidly together.

For example, the frame member ll comprises 30 a plurality of tubularsections or elements 20 which are held in alignment by having their endslocated in annular grooves 2| formed in pairs of intermediate washers22. The washers and elements are strung on an inner support- 36 ing andclamping rod 23, the apertures in the washer through which the rodextends being of a size to snugly fit thereon. The ends of the rods arethreaded and clamping nuts 2| which bear against end washers 25 aredrawn 40 up so tightly as to place the tubular elements and intermediatewashers under compression and the inner rod 23 under considerabletension. Preferably, the clamping nuts are covered with suitableornamental cups 26 threaded thereon, 4

though, obviously, the ends may be finished of! in any desired manner.By placing the inner rod 23 under considerable tension it is drawn intocontact with the inner faces of the tubular members 20 at the points ofcurvature with a 50 supporting pressure, as best shown in Fig. '1. Thisresults in greatly increasing the rigidity and strength of the assemblyand permits the use of relatively weak tubing material, such asaluminum, in making curved frame members which Q are called upon toresist considerable stress. At

the points between adjacent tubular members where the rod passes throughthe intermediate washers, the rod is centered in the tubular elements.The grooves 2| in the washers not only conceal any rough ends on thetubular elements but also hold the tubing against any tendency to besprung out of place and deformed by the clamping force.

While the tubular section can be arranged in any desired manner and theintermediate washers located wherever desired, it will be found mostadvantageous to locate the washers wherever a joint occurs between, forexample, the frame member I l and associated frame members or the like.In the illustrated embodiment, a solid cross member 30 connects theupper ends of the frame members II and forms a support for the back l2.The washers at the upper ends of the frame members are so shaped as toprovide a recess 3| for receiving the ends of the cross member 30 andthe latter is pierced by the end of the inner rod 23. The parts aredimensioned so as to result in a close fit and it will be apparent thatwhen assembled a rigid joint is formed between the frame member H andsolid cross member 30.

The joint l6, best shown in Fig. 8, illustrates the connection betweenpairs of hollow frame members each having inner strengthening rods, whensuch members cross without actually intersecting. The frame member I5 ismade up of an assembly of tubular sections 32, intermediate washers 33and inner rod 34 similar to the elements in the member ll. In this jointthe frame members are connected together by directly uniting the innerstrengthening rods 23 and 34. This is done by a hollow connector tube 35which has one end located in a recess 36 formed between intermediatewashers 22 on the frame member ll, wherein it is pierced by the innerstrengthening rod 23, and the other end located in a. similar recess 31in the intermediate washers 3B, which end is pierced by the inner rod34. The parts are so proportioned as to provide a snug fit. Theconnector 35 may be solid if desired.

The type of connection between a hollow frame member with an inner rodand a hollow cross member is shown in joint l8 illustrated in Fig. 4,which shows the manner of connecting the end of the rung I! to the lowerend of the frame member I5. In this case, the end of the rung is locatedin a recess 38 formed in the adjacent faces of washers 39 and the end ispierced by the inner rod 34 of the frame member l5. The joint betweenthe front leg [4 and the rung I! is similar to the joint shown in Fig. 4except that the rung l1 runs entirely through the associated washers 40.

Still another type of joint, in this case one between tubular framemembers which intersect, and each of which has an inner strengtheningrod, such as occurs in the joint between the lower ends of the frontlegs I4 and the supporting forwardly projecting sections I3, isillustrated in Fig. 5. In a joint of this type a connector 4| is locatedin a pocket or recess 42 formed between the washers 22 on one of theframe members. The connector is pierced by the inner rod 23. Theprojecting end 43 of the connector is illustrated as reduced in diameterand adapted to receive an end washer 44 having a groove 45 for receivingthe lower end of the tubular leg [4. The inner strengthening rod 46 ofthe leg l4 r is threaded to the connector 4| and the parts are drawn uptightly to form a rigid joint. In this way the inner rods of the framemembers are connected directly together and a strong rigid assembly isprovided.

The inner strengthening rods may be formed in any convenient manner.They may be formed in one piece or they may be made up in differentsections the adjacent ends of which are threaded and connected by athreaded connector 50, as shown in Figs. 2, 7 and 8.

It will be apparent that the present invention provides a constructionpermitting the use of standard parts to manufacture a piece of fumiturehaving substantially any desired design or shape without requiring anyspecial dies, tools or the like, merely by mechanically shaping andarranging the frame members in the desired manner. The invention may, ofcourse, be variously adapted and modified within the scope of theappended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with a. rigid curved hollow frame member of an innerreinforcing member, smaller than the inside of the frame member, andmeans for tensioning said reinforcing member so as to clamp it againstthe inner face of said frame member with a supporting pressure at theplace of curvature.

2. The combination with a curved hollow.

ous reinforcing member, and means for tensioning said reinforcing memberwithin said frame member so as to draw said reinforcing member intoengagement with the inner face of said frame member with a supportingpressure at the place of curvature.

3. An article of manufacture comprising a hollow curved frame memberformed by a plurality of tubular elements placed in alignment andincluding a curved tubular element, an inner rod of smaller diameterthan the inside of said frame member extending through said elements,means for clamping said elements together on said rod with sufilcientforce to draw said rod against the inner face of said curved elementwith a supporting pressure at the places of curvature, and means locatedbetween adjacent tubular elements for centering said rod within saidframe member at the joints between adjacent elements.

4. The combination in an article of furniture of a rigid hollow curvedframe member formed by a plurality of tubular elements placed inalignment, a strengthening rod of smaller diameter than the inside ofsaid frame member extending substantially throughout the length of saidframe member, means for pressing said tubular elements together and fortensioning said rod therein so as to draw said rod into contact with theinner face of said frame member with a supporting pressure at the pointof curvature.

5. An article of manufacture comprising in combination, a curved hollowframe member including separatetubular elements, intermediate washerslocated between said elements, a curved inner rod of smaller diameterthan the inside of said frame-member extending through substantially theentire length of said frame member and through said washers, means forclamping said elements and said washers together on said rod and forplacing said rod under tension so as to connector and the rod in saidintersecting memdraw said rod against the inner face of said curvedmember with a supporting pressure, and means onsaid Washers for holdingthe ends of said elements against lateral displacement.

6. The combination in an article of furniture of separate hollow framemembers having intersecting axes and formed of separate tubular sectionssecured together in alinement, a strengthening rod within each of saidframe members and of less diameter than the inside of said membersextending substantially throughout the length thereof, and means forconnecting the rods of said separate members together comprising aconnector extending into and pierced by the rod in one of said tubularmembers, and threaded to the rod in the intersecting tubular member, andmeans for supporting the adjacent end of said intersecting tubularmember for holding it in position.

7. The combination in an article of furniture of separate hollow framemembers having their axes arranged on intersecting lines, each memberbeing formed of separate tubular sections placed in alinement,intermediate Washers positioned between adjacent sections of one of saidmembers and formed to hold said sections in position and to provide alateral recess in said member, a strengthening rod in each of saidmembers, one of said rods extending through said recess and a connectorlocated in said recess, pierced by the rod extending through saidrecess, and a threaded connection between said her.

8. The combination is an article of furniture provided with separatehollow frame members having axes arranged on intersecting lines, eachmember being formed of separate tubular sections placed in alinement, ofintermediate washers positioned between adjacent sections of one of saidmembers and formed to provide a, lateral recess therebetween, an innerrod in each of said members, a connector located in said recess, piercedby the rod extending through said recess and having a. threadedconnection with the rod in said intersecting member, and meanssupporting the end of said intersecting tubular member for holding it inposition.

9. The combination in an article of furniture provided with separatehollow frame members having axes arranged on intersecting lines, eachmember being formed of separate tubular sections placed in alinement, ofintermediate washers positioned betweenadjacent sections of one of saidmembers and formed to provide a lateral recess therebetween, an innerrod in each of said members, a connector located in said recess, piercedby the rod extending through said recess and having a threadedconnection with the rod in said intersecting member, and means mountedon said connector and supporting the end of said intersecting tubularmember for holding it in position.

' WARREN McARTHUR, JR.

